Roundup: Planned ad pits La Russa vs. annoucer

ST. LOUIS (AP) -- Joe Buck couldn't throw a strike, couldn't hit it out of the cage, couldn't track a flyball down.

Fox's lead baseball play-by-play man suited up at Busch Stadium several hours before game-time Wednesday to participate in a promotional spot the network is considering for the All-Star Game being held in St. Louis in July.

The gist of the ad: The announcer is humbled after being challenged by Cardinals manager Tony La Russa over critical commentary Buck made about the team.

"He's up there saying how easy it is," a joking La Russa said after the filming stopped. "That was the genesis of this, and maybe he'll be a little more careful in his comments the next time he gets back up there."

The 40-year-old Buck was trying, but with handicaps. He hasn't played since he was 18, and he was facing major league players.

Pitching to St. Louis cleanup hitter Ryan Ludwick, he couldn't get a fastball down. And when he did, Ludwick homered.

Facing hard-throwing Mitchell Boggs instead of a coach, Buck fouled off a pitch or two, tops. He estimated he caught three of 15 high flyballs off the expert fungo bat of first-base coach Dave McKay.

"He challenged me and I failed the challenge," Buck said. "We're going to see what comes out of it, put it together and see what happens."

Buck was most worried that he might hurt someone. Ludwick retreated to the clubhouse to grab a helmet before standing in.

"The off chance that something happens and I'm responsible for Ryan Ludwick not playing the rest of the year, that's not something I enjoyed the thought of," Buck said. "He should have gone back in for catching gear."

La Russa joked that Ludwick had nothing to worry about.

"Usually when you get hit with a 50 mph pitch, it's not real painful," La Russa said. "I think he got it up to 50 once or twice.

"I give him credit for coming out here. Not a lot of credit," La Russa added.

Guillen not ready to pull Contreras

BALTIMORE -- Three starts, three losses. Not exactly the results the Chicago White Sox expected from Jose Contreras at the outset of the season.

The right-hander allowed six runs on seven hits and six walks over 5 1-3 innings Tuesday night in a 10-3 loss to Baltimore. That left Contreras with an 0-3 record and an 8.04 ERA.

White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen isn't happy with the numbers, but isn't quite ready to pull the 37-year-old Contreras from the starting rotation.

"Not right now. It's kind of early," Guillen said Wednesday. "Even though the results aren't the ones we like lately, you have to be careful to not hurry into a decision based on your feelings, because it might be the wrong one."

Contreras has yielded 14 earned runs, 19 hits and 11 walks in 15 2-3 innings.

"I am going to continue to work until I get it right," Contreras said through an interpreter Tuesday.

Contreras spent two months on the disabled list last year and started just 20 games. But Guillen didn't think the pitcher's health was the problem.

"It's not his velocity. ... It doesn't look like he has the confidence now to let the ball go," Guillen said.

Chicago pitching coach Don Cooper said, "We've got to get (his confidence) back. That's our focus," Cooper said. "He's frustrated. Everyone wants better results."

A-Rod runs bases as rehab continues

TAMPA, Fla.-- Yankees third baseman Alex Rodriguez ran the bases Wednesday for the first time since undergoing right hip surgery.

A-Rod ran 10 times between first and second base at the Yankees' minor league complex, including twice with a trainer pulling on a strap around the waist.

Rodriguez had surgery March 9. The Yankees expect him to rejoin the team by May 15.

The three-time AL MVP also increased his defensive drills, charging slow rollers for the first time and extending his range going after grounders.

Tigers place Thames on DL, recall Raburn

ANAHEIM, Calif. -- Detroit Tigers outfielder-designated hitter Marcus Thames is expected to be sidelined for more than a month because of a strained ribcage muscle.

Thames was placed on the 15-day disabled list late Tuesday night. He was injured while taking a swing during batting practice before Detroit's 4-3 loss to the Los Angeles Angels.

Thames was just starting to get back into a groove after recovering from a lower abdominal strain in spring training.

He batted .241 last season with 25 homers and 56 RBIs in 103 games. He was 4-for-18 in his first six games this year, driving in two runs and striking out six times.

Valverde likely out a few days with leg injury

HOUSTON -- Houston closer Jose Valverde will likely miss a couple of days recovering after being hit on the leg by a grounder.

Valverde was hit near his ankle and strained his right calf trying to field the grounder by Orlando Hudson that hit him. Still, he remained in the game to get the last two outs and his first save in Houston's 8-5 win over the Dodgers on Tuesday night.

Manager Cecil Cooper, catcher Ivan Rodriguez and members of Houston's training staff tried to get him to leave the game after the injury, but the fiery closer, who led the National League with 44 saves in 2008, flatly refused.

He struck out James Loney and Russell Martin to end the game despite hobbling through those batters favoring his injured leg.

Orioles' Simon out for season

BALTIMORE -- Orioles right-hander Alfredo Simon will undergo season-ending elbow ligament replacement surgery, a disappointing blow for both the pitcher and a team with a thin starting rotation.

Simon was pitching in the Mexican League before signing with Baltimore last August. He enjoyed a fine spring training and began the 2009 season as the No. 3 man in the rotation, but Simon pitched only 6 1/3 innings before experiencing discomfort in his right elbow.

He was forced to leave the game after pitching 1 1/3 innings in his second start in Texas, and it was ultimately determined Simon needed surgery to repair his damaged right elbow.

"Initially, there was some hope that we would be able to help nurse this through without going through such an irrevocable step," Orioles president Andy MacPhail said Wednesday. "But the more they looked into it, the clearer it became that the option really isn't available to us. He's going to undergo surgery here in the not-so-distant future."

The 27-year-old Simon hoped to improve upon a big league career that began with a four-game stint with Baltimore last season.

"They gave me the opportunity, and I can do the job," he said. "But my elbow doesn't have [strong] ligaments. So I am going to do the best I can to come back next year."

Umpire out of hospital afer struck by bat

TORONTO -- Umpire Kerwin Danley was out of a hospital a day after being hit in the head by a broken bat, and will be examined by Major League Baseball before he returns to the field.

Danley will remain in Toronto until the symptoms of a "powerful headache" subside, crew chief Dana DeMuth said Wednesday. Once Danley can travel, he will go to MLB's medical center in Arizona for further tests.

Danley, who was hit in the mask by a pitch last April and missed more than a month, left the field on a stretcher in the sixth inning Tuesday night after being struck by the barrel of Hank Blalock's bat.

The 47-year-old umpire was taken to hospital and discharged when tests showed no neurological damage. Danley never lost consciousness, DeMuth said.

Todd Tichenor, a Pacific Coast League umpire, replaced Danley and worked third base at the Texas-Toronto game Wednesday night.

"They're not letting him leave here until his headaches are gone or have subsided to where he can travel," DeMuth said. "Today it was still hurting him pretty good. He'll stick around today and we'll find out day by day."

Devine has ligament replaced in elbow

NEW YORK -- Oakland Athletics reliever Joey Devine has had ligament replacement surgery on his right elbow, a procedure that usually requires at least one year of recovery.

The operation was performed Tuesday by Dr. James Andrews on Devine's ulnar collateral ligament. A's manager Bob Geren said Wednesday that it was replacement surgery but that he had not spoken with the pitcher.

Devine has been on the disabled list since the season started. He went 6-1 with a 0.59 ERA and one save last season, and struck out 49 with 15 walks in 42 games covering 45 2/3 innings.

Rockies place Morales on DL

PHOENIX -- The Colorado Rockies put left-hander Franklin Morales on the 15-day disabled list Wednesday with a strain in his pitching shoulder.

Morales was hurt while warming up in the third inning of the Rockies' 9-6 victory over Arizona on Tuesday night.

Colorado added right-hander Matt Daley from Triple-A Colorado Springs and made room on the 40-man roster by moving righty Taylor Buchholz to the 60-day disabled list. Buchholz has a sprained ligament in his throwing elbow.

Sweeney latest Mariners 1B to get hurt

SEATTLE -- Mike Sweeney left Wednesday night's game against Tampa Bay after trying to stop his swing at an inside pitch from Jeff Niemann in the second inning.

The 35-year-old, five-time All-Star paused after the awkward swing before his knees buckled because of pain. Sweeney tried to stretch his back at the plate before trainer Rick Griffin escorted him into the dugout and then the clubhouse.

The team reported Sweeney has spasms in his upper back. He will be re-evaluated Thursday.

Ronny Cedeno finished the at-bat by flying out. Cedeno then played second base while second baseman Jose Lopez moved over to first.

Sweeney was starting for Russell Branyan. Branyan has had spasms in his lower back for six days but said he may return Thursday.

Dodgers enforce no-alcohol policy

LOS ANGELES -- The Dodgers are cracking down on fans who bring alcohol onto stadium property.

The club said Wednesday it will increase signage and security patrols in the parking lots to enforce its policy of not allowing alcohol onto the premises. Violators will be subject to ejection.

Extra signs in English and Spanish will be posted outside parking entrances and in lots beginning with the team's homestand that opens April 30.

Alcohol sales inside the stadium already end in the seventh inning. Earlier this month, the Dodgers lowered the prices of some concessions, including beer, which costs $6, down from $8.

The crackdown comes after a man was stabbed multiple times after the Dodgers' home opener on April 13.

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